The launch event came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul for talks with South Korean allies over the North Korean nuclear threat and other issues.

North Korea fired what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile out to sea on Monday, coinciding with a visit by U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Seoul during a period of political turmoil in South Korea.

Russia has trained its troops for a potential attack on Japan and South Korea, according to a report by the Financial Times. The British outlet reviewed 29 Russian military documents and uncovered a strategy devised by Moscow to target the two Asian nations.

Zelenskiy reports battles near Makhnovka, Kursk region North Korean and Russian troops suffer significant losses Fierce battles along 1,000-km front line, Pokrovsk hardest hit Jan 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Russian and North Korean forces suffered heavy losses in fighting in Russia's southern Kursk region.